THE Kochi Corporation is planning to entrust Karnataka Compost Development Corporation Ltd to set up a solid waste treatment plant in Brahmapuram near here.

An eight-member team from the corporation had recently visited the solid waste management plant set up by KCDC in Bangalore and found the project suitable for Kochi. As per the initial estimate, the proposal will cost around Rs 10 crore. The civic officials are also planning to ensure the participation of the nearby municipalities and panchayats in the project.

The move is of considerable significance to the city as the Supreme Court deadline of December 2003 for setting up an eco-friendly garbage treatment plant is fast approaching.

KCDC, floated by Karnataka Agro Industries Corporation and the Karnataka State Co-operative Marketing Federation, has been successfully operating the plant for eco-friendly treatment of city garbage and agriculture waste for the production of compost-based organic manure and vermin compost since 1975.

The corporation is making use of the aerobic decomposition window method for treating the city waste where the decomposition of the organic matter is carried out by a mixed population of micro-organisms in warm, moist and aerobic environment.

The composting is completed within 7-8 weeks and the degraded compost is fed into the screening plants to produce different grades of organic manure. At present, 350 tonnes of garbage is treated at the plant per day.